This article is part of our FanDuel College Football series.
CFB FanDuel DFS Breakdown for Saturday Main Slate
We're one week away from the double digits, but Week 9 presents a bevy of intriguing matchups on the table. Expected to top the charts is an intra-state Big 12 showdown between TCU and Texas Tech at 66.5, pacing the field by at least 12 points over any other game. There is then five different games sporting a 54.5 total for Saturday, leaving a host of options on the table.
On an individual-team basis, Oregon possesses the highest expected score (38.0) on the slate, trailed closely by Miami (37.5) going against an unimpressive Florida State club. Oho State (36.5), TCU (36.5), Ole Miss (35.0) and Texas (35.0) round out the teams with expected totals topping the 35-point mark.
In contrast to last week, when only one team on the slate was a double-digit favorite, we have Ohio State -25.5 as the leader on the charts this week. Oregon (-21.5), Miami (-20.5), and Ole Miss (-20.5) are all nearly three-touchdown favorites or better, leading to some blowout potential. Texas (-18.5), Alabama (-17.5), and Notre Dame (-13.5) round out the double-digit favorites this week.
College Football DFS Weather (winds 15+ MPH, precip. chance 50-plus percent and hot/cold temps noted)
Notre Dame at Navy - Winds north of 17 MPH likely. Could impact passing games (likely Notre Dam more, given Navy's offensive scheme)
Illinois at Oregon - Chance of rain, though it may be later in the day
Notable College Football Injuries/Absences for Week 9
QB
Brady Cook, 
Missouri - Doubtful to face Alabama
Kurtis Rourke, 
Indiana - Won't play against Washington
RB
Quinshon Judkins, 
Ohio State - Not expected to miss time despite undergoing hand surgery
Caden Durham, 
LSU - Listed probable on the injury report
Sedrick Alexander, 
Vanderbilt - Listed probable for this week
Nate Noel, Missouri - Doubtful to face Alabama
Daniel Hishaw, 
Kansas - Questionable after aggravating a prior injury last week against Houston
Rahmir Johnson, 
Nebraska - Won't play against Ohio State
AJ Newberry, Vanderbilt - Listed probable to face Texas
Matt Jones, 
Ole Miss - Listed doubtful to face Oklahoma
Kam Davis, 
Florida State - Being monitored throughout the week. Likely questionable at best
Gavin Sawchuk, 
Oklahoma - Listed doubtful versus Ole Miss
WR
Tre Harris, Ole Miss - Added to injury report Thursday as questionable after leaving Ole Miss' last game before returning
Traeshon Holden, 
Oregon - Didn't play last week as punishment for spitting on a player the week prior. Unclear if he'll go against Illinois
Isaiah Bond, 
Texas - Downgraded to doubtful for Saturday's game versus Vanderbilt and is expected to sit
Deion Burks, Oklahoma - Not expected to play against Ole Miss
Nic Anderson, Oklahoma - Won't play against Ole Miss
CJ Daniels, LSU - Deemed questionable to play against Texas A&M
Chris Hilton, LSU - Listed as questionable but practiced in full Thursday and could make season debut
Gary Bryant, Oregon - Has yet to play this year and it's unclear if or when he'll be available
Andrel Anthony, Oklahoma - Out again this week
TE
Eli Stowers, Vanderbilt - Upgraded to probable Thursday after an initial questionable designation
Terrance Ferguson Oregon - Unclear if he'll be available after undergoing an emergency appendectomy last week
Brett Norfleet, Missouri - Listed as questionable this week
College Football DFS Tools
- FanDuel Lineup Optimizer
- Matchups Page (Vegas odds, opponent averages, etc.)
- Advanced Lineups Page
- Stats
- Team Trends
- Targets
- Defense vs. Position
- Team Rankings
Week 9 CFB DFS Plays on FanDuel
Quarterback
Riley Leonard, Notre Dame 
($11,000) at Navy
On the surface, Navy doesn't seem like the ideal matchup, allowing 17.22 or fewer fantasy points to all but one quarterback this season. the only quarterback to top that mark was Seth Henigan for Memphis, who finished the day with 25.3 FD points. However, when we dig a little deeper, we find that, in fact, each of the last four quarterbacks to face the Midshipmen scored above-average fantasy points in their matchups, including two -- Henigan and last week's Charlotte QBs, finished with 35-plus percent above the season average in fantasy points. Leonard enters the week averaging 24.55, so even a fantasy output 20-25 percent above the season mark. Rushing quarterbacks have also had some success, running for 249 yards over six games, including a combined 170 rushing yards over the last three games. Leonard has run for 50 or more yards and at least a touchdown in four of the last five games and should have a good shot to continue that streak Saturday.
Josh Hoover, TCU 
($10,400) vs. Texas Tech
Hoover quarterbacks the top expected scoring team on the slate and figures to be a reasonably chalky play, and for good reason. The Red Raiders have allowed 27.4 FD points per game to opposing quarterbacks this season. The second-worst defense on the list against quarterbacks will be on the field when the Horned Frogs' offense isn't out there, so this has the makings of a shootout. While Behren Morton ($9,500) should also be considered, I'm more on board with Hoover, who has thrown for 396 or more passing yards twice already this season. Texas Tech has yielded north of 300 passing yards per game this year, and three of the past four quarterbacks have topped season average FD output, with two of them going for 50-plus percent above average. Anywhere close to that mark would push Hoover well over the value needed to cement a spot in winning lineups.
Avery Johnson, Kansas State 
($10,000) vs. Kansas
Johnson's last pair of weeks have been just okay, going for 20.46 and 23.92 FD points, and Kansas has forced nine interceptions over the last four games, but we also see some flaws Johnson should be primed to exploit. Only BYU and the Red Raiders defense highlighted above have allowed more rushing yards through Week 8 than the Jayhawks, who have given up 350 through seven games. When we zoom into more recent action, we find that UNLV, West Virginia, and Arizona State all saw their quarterbacks run for 77 or more yards, with TCU's Josh Hoover, a non-threat as a runner, finishing with just a single yard. Johnson certainly has the pathetic ability to take advantage of that, rushing for 60 or more yards on three different occasions so far in 2024.
GPP options to consider:
Tayven Jackson, Indiana ($8,200), Brock Glenn Florida State ($6,700), Jack Tuttle, 
Michigan ($6,500)
I wanted to highlight some quarterbacks a little further down the salary list that could be worth a look in tournament contests. First on the list is Jackson, who showed some promise when taking over for Kurtis Rourke last week and now gets his own chance to orchestrate the offense. The matchup isn't a great one, facing a Huskies defense that has held all opposing QBs to under-average production, but he's still quarterbacking an offense with an expected score of 30.5 points, and Jackson can get things done on the ground, running for 21 yards in limited action last week.
Glenn struggled last week in a starting role, but Duke has been a tough defense all season, having not allowed a single opposing QB to top season average in fantasy production. By contrast, the Hurricanes' defense has allowed three of the last four two top season-average production, including each of the last two, to tally 22-plus percent above average.
Tuttle is in a similar situation where things haven't gone well for the Michigan quarterbacks, but this week, he gets a Spartans defense that has allowed each of the last three QBs to top season-average fantasy production, so hey, maybe this is the week Michigan's passing game finds some traction.
Note: It was determined after this was written that Tuttle isn't in line to start Saturday versus Michigan State.
Running Back
The Top Dogs
Tahj Brooks, Texas Tech 
($10,200) at TCU
DJ Giddens, Kansas State ($10,100) vs. Kansas
Jordan James, Oregon ($10,000) vs. Illinois
Among the top options on the board this week, this trio stands out to me as the most likely to produce the necessary fantasy output to return value. Giddens has been in a groove of late, tallying 23 plus FD points in each of the last three games. He faces a Kansas defense that has allowed two of the last three RB rooms to go for 18 and 24 percent above average. Using Giddens' recent output, that would mark him for 27-plus FD points, which is certainly worthy of a look.
Brooks should get his shot to rack up yardage against the Horned Frogs in a high-scoring affair against a defense that has let four of the last six opponents score above average in fantasy production. One of the two that didn't was Kansas by just one percent, and the other was Utah last week for a Utes team that struggled to move the ball with freshman Isaac Wilson under center.
James' matchup doesn't appear the most fruitful against the Illini, but the two opponents prior to Michigan -- Purdue and Penn State -- each saw the running backs tally 31 and 15 percent above average. Oregon is expected to score a lot, and the expected game script should see them leading, which would leave additional rush attempts on the table for James this week.
Mid-Range Targets
Justice Ellison, Indiana ($7,600) vs. Washington
Quintrevion Wisner, Texas ($7,700) at Vanderbilt
With Kurtis Rourke out and the Hoosiers facing a stout Huskies pass defense, this feels like a week head coach Curt Cignetti could lean on the rushing attack a bit more. Ellison is coming off his best showing to date against Nebraska, though it came on just nine totes. He also added a pair of catches for 11 total touches, out-touching fellow back Ty Son Lawton in Week 8. The pair could have a slight uptick in work this week, and Ellison is $200 cheaper in salary, so I'll take my chances with him on an Indiana team with a 30.5 expected score.
Wisner has seemingly seized control of lead-back duties in Austin, claiming 15 and 10 targets last week compared to just nine targets (albeit seven catches) for Jayden Blue and no rushing attempts versus Georgia. while the matchup wasn't fruitful to Wisner in his first week as the clear leader of the room, Vanderbilt has been a bit more susceptible to the run, allowing two of its last three SEC opponents to scamper for 18 and 20 percent above-average fantasy production from the running back room. Texas sports a 35 expected score this week, and here is where I'm likely to get involved in that total, especially with Isaiah Bond expected to sit.
GPP Bargain Options
Marcus Carroll, Missouri ($6,600) at Alabama
Trent Battle, TCU ($6,300) vs. Texas Tech
Carroll doesn't have the greatest of matchups and will likely be without starting quarterback Brady Cook directing the offense, so I'm not sure how much to expect from the Tigers against the Crimson Tide. Still, Nate Noel is slated to miss the contest as well, positioning Carroll as the clear workhorse again Saturday. Carroll has delivered double-digit fantasy points each of the last two weeks and should continue to see significant usage Saturday at a reasonable salary.
Battle isn't in the same boat in terms of injuries opening an opportunity, but the junior back has seemingly made his own way into the mix for the Horned Frogs, logging eight carries for 45 yards and tallying a pair of catches last week, seeing just three fewer touches than starter Cam Cook. The Horned Frogs are expected to rack up some offense in this one, and reports indicate he may be moving ahead of Cook in the pecking order for carries. I'll throw my hat into that ring.
Wide Receiver/Tight End
The Top Dogs
Jack Bech, TCU ($10,000) vs. Texas Tech
Emeka Egbuka, Ohio State ($9,100) vs. Nebraska
Bech has seen his production drop off over the last pair of weeks, but he's still seen a combined 17 targets over that span and gets a great matchup in an expected high-scoring affair during Week 9. He'll square off against a Texas Tech defense that has allowed Baylor 71 percent above-average FD scoring and Cincinnati 34 percent above-average FD scoring in two of the last three games. If Bech's salary isn't quite as out of control as it had been thanks to a couple of down weeks, but now seems like a good time to jump back in.
We don't have any part of the Ohio State offense up to this point, but Egbuka seems as good a bet as any to produce Saturday. Star cornerback Tommi Hill is back for the Huskers and plays outside, presumably matching up against Jeremiah Smith a fair amount, but the team's pass defense overall has been suspect on the year, allowing nearly 30 FD points per game to opposing wideout rooms. The combination of avoiding Hill, thanks to logging most of his snaps in the slot, and the favorable overall matchup for a team with a 36.5 expected score gives the green light for Egbuka in my book.
Mid-Range Targets
Luke Grimm ($7,300) or Quentin Skinner ($6,200), Kansas at Kansas State
Evan Stewart, Oregon ($7,100) vs. Illinois
If we're looking at some options around the middle of the pack, Grimm and Skinner are two intriguing ones that get a good matchup versus a struggling Kansas State defense and have shown some explosiveness this season, with Grimm topping 20 points twice and also posting a 17.5 FD-point game. Skinner has seen his production skyrocket in the last two games but certainly has the lower floor of the two, posting five or fewer FD points in each of the first five games.
Rather than go with Tez Johnson ($9,900) near the top of the board, I'm taking my chances with Stewart this week. Stewart has finally put his immense talent on display in the last two games, racking up a combined 36.0 FD points despite a blowout scenario last week that didn't require much passing last week. Illinois should put up more of a fight than Purdue, likely giving the passing offense a few more opportunities this week.
GPP Bargain Options
Ryan Wingo, Texas ($5,900) at Vanderbilt
Chris Hilton LSU ($5,000) at Texas A&M (If he plays)
What I'm looking for down here is opportunity and upside or a supremely good matchup. While neither of these two has the best matchup on the board, they aren't the worst either. The opportunity is what I'm interested in, however. Wingo seems the likely candidate to join the starting unit Saturday with Isaiah Bond likely out, and Wingo has put his talent on display on a few occasions this season, surpassing 20 FD points against UTSA and 11.2 FD points against Louisiana-Monroe on back-to-back weeks. He saw a season-high seven targets last week versus Georgia and should be in line for significant looks again this week with Bond sideline.
Hilton has yet to play in a game this year and is officially questionable prior to Friday's availability report. However, he reportedly practiced in full Thursday, potentially signaling an appearance for him for the first time this season. Hilton impressed during the offseason and was expected to take over the deep-threat role from Brian Thomas, but a preseason injury has sidelined him to date, leading to a rock-bottom salary. If he has the green light Saturday, it may be worth tossing him in a couple of GPP lineups.
